NOAA: Wayward Everglades pilot whales headed back toward shore

Corey Perrine/Staff
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013 at Highland Beach in The Everglades of Florida. Six dead pilot whales were found earlier today in a remote part of the park, part of a pod of 51 whales facing an uncertain future. Four pilot whales have had to be euthanized. Federal biologists report that 46 pilot whales are alive and swimming free.

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK - An unpredictable pod of pilot whales that had stranded in Everglades National Park left would-be rescuers on a down note Friday.

A day after rescue crews expressed relief that the whales were headed to safety offshore, a group of 20 wayward whales reversed course Friday, coming about a mile closer to shore, a NOAA official said.

"We're less optimistic that they're going to continue to move offshore at this point," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine mammal stranding network coordinator Blair Mase said. "Anything can happen."

The whales, spotted by U.S. Coast Guard flyover, appear to be swimming more slowly and in a less-organized pod about five miles offshore compared to the whales spotted Thursday six miles offshore and headed to deeper water, Mase said.

She said their behavior suggests the whales could be succumbing to disease or to dehydration and malnutrition associated with being out of their normal home ranges.

Trackers counted 51 whales Wednesday stranded at Highland Beach. Of those, seven died and four were euthanized. Monitors were tracking some 35 whales Thursday.

On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Sawfish, out of Key West, was tracking just seven whales. They later grouped up with another 13 whales.

The National Park Service checked out what were thought to be two whales in shallow water Friday, but they turned out to be dolphins, Mase said.

As for the several missing whales, Mase said they might have found their way offshore, were inshore or had died.

"There's really no telling where those animals might be," she said.

Finding and counting the whales was made more difficult Friday by choppy, churned up water, Mase said. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended operations Friday afternoon because of the weather, but another flyover is planned Saturday morning.

Mase said rescue crews are hesitant to try to herd the whales and point them back offshore for fear that technique is needlessly tiring the animals if they are intent on coming ashore.

"At some point we have to stand back and let nature take its course," she said.

POSTED EARLIER:

A group of 20 wayward pilot whales thought to have been heading to safety offshore after stranding in Everglades National Park have reversed course, a NOAA official said Friday.

The whales were about five nautical miles from the coast, one mile closer than Thursday.

"We're less optimistic that they're going to continue to move offshore at this point," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine mammal stranding network coordinator Blair Mase said. "Anything can happen."

The whales, spotted by U.S. Coast Guard flyover, appear to be swimming more slowly and in a less organized pod than the whales spotted Thursday headed to deeper water, Mase said.

She said their behavior suggests the whales could be succumbing to disease or to dehydration and malnutrition associated with being out of their normal home ranges.

What were thought earlier to be two whales in shallow water near Plover Key turned out to be dolphins, Mase said.

POSTED EARLIER:

Most of the pilot whales making their way offshore Thursday after a mass stranding in Everglades National Park earlier this week have not turned up in a search by air and water Friday morning, a NOAA official said.

"It is encouraging that they have not seen them as of yet," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stranding network coordinator Blair Mase said.

Trackers counted 51 whales Wednesday stranded at Highland Beach. Of those, seven died and four were euthanized. Monitors were tracking some 35 whales Thursday, but only nine whales have been spotted so far Friday.

Seven whales are milling around in 12 feet of water southwest of the whales' location Wednesday and two more are in shallow water near Plover Key.

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Sawfish, out of Key West, is tracking the seven whales while a National Park Service helicopter plans to checking out the two inshore whales today.

Rescuers plan to keep up the monitoring effort through the weekend, Mase said.

"The outcome of all the whales is considered to be unknown at this time," she said.